It’s like the lunch fairy landed on my doorstep and blessed me with her wisdom.
I always knew mason jar salads existed, but I never really got into them. The concept made so much sense. Layer everything in a jar then dump the contents in a bowl, fork it, and call it lunch. With seventy nine empty mason jars in the pantry and an endless supply of salad ingredients on hand at all time, what the hell was I waiting for? The lunch fairy?!
WELL. For some reason I had a hankering for salad-in-a-jarring last week and (after a lengthy Google search) ended up making these Mason Jar Chickpea Farro, and Greens Salad from Cookie and Kate, which inspired the version you stumbled upon today. They were delish in every sense of the word and from then on, I decided I would make some variety of mason jar salads for lunch each Sunday. Best lunch decision I evah made.
I realized after moving that I have a lifetime supply of Bob’s spelt berries in my pantry. Not the worst problem to have. In addition to the delightfully chewy texture of these little whole grains, spelt berries are also packed with plant-powered protein and fiber. If you don’t have any on hand, try wheat berries (you can find them in the bulk bins), quinoa, brown rice, or whatever whole grain you fancy. If you don’t do grains, leave them out. I love having a complete meal in a bowl, so the jar concept was no exception. You’ve got your bean salad, whole grains, raw veggies, and plenty of greens. The best part is that this recipe is super customizable. Use whatever beans you have on hand (chickpeas, black beans, whatever) along with whatever veggies and greens you prefer!
If you feel like whipping up a salad at home is a challenge, I’m so with you. I find that for some reason when all the ingredients are separate in my fridge, making a salad is about as appealing as running a half marathon in rubber flip flops. So do yourself a favor. Take some time on Sunday to prep five of these bad boys and enjoy a grab-and-go lunch every day of the work week! I packed one of these salads with some kind of muffin or a couple no-bake bites, celery and hummus, and an organic Gala apple to round it out. Flavors and textures galore. To your taste buds, belly, and wallet…you’re so very welcome. Print [Tweet “Make these easy White Bean and Basil Mason Jar Salads from @TheHummusapien for lunch this week!”]
